When involved in the process of turning the armatures of electric motors or in accomplishing many other work operations where work pieces are to be rotated about an axis thereof for the purpose of conducting a machining grinding or other work operation thereon, it is not unusual to determine that the axis of the work piece is not disposed precisely co-axial with the outer periphery of the rotatable work piece. One reason for this is that the axial shaft of a motor may have become bent during use or the manufacturing operation that produced the work piece may not have been accomplished in such manner that the periphery of the work piece is co-axial with the center of a shaft that supports the work piece. This is typically the case where a press fitting operation occurs during an assembly operation. Axial misalignment of the axis of a work supporting shaft with the outer periphery of a work piece supported by that shaft may render the work piece difficult or impossible to machine unless the axis of the work supporting shaft is shifted or adjusted relative to the axis of the machine conducting the machining operation.
One method of achieving axial shifting of a shaft may be accomplished by means of shimming wherein shims are utilized between the rotatable conical portion of a live center element and the center that has been formed in the axial shaft supporting the work piece. Shimming is a trial and error method and requires the work piece supporting elements to be disassembled from the work perhaps a number of times before proper sized shims are properly placed to achieve the degree of axial shifting that is desired. Shimming operations are very time consuming and therefore very expensive and typically have an adverse effect on the commercial feasibility of machining operations where axial shifting is necessary.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel adapter mechanism that may be easily assembled to a conventional live center mechanism and which provides efficient and effective means for accurately and controllably shifting the axis of a work piece relative to the axis of the live center mechanism.
It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a novel adjustable adapter for live center mechanisms which may be assembled to such live center mechanisms in simple, efficient and quick manner to promote the commercial feasibility of axial shifting for machining operations.
Among the several objects of the present invention is noted the complication of a novel adapter for live center mechanisms wherein adjustment of the axis of a shaft supporting a work piece may be shifted angularly with respect to the axis of a live center mechanism supporting the work piece whereby the outer periphery of the work piece may be supported about an imaginary axis that is angularly related to the axis of a support shaft therefor.
Another object of the present invention concerns the provision of a novel adapter for live center mechanisms which may be assembled to most live center mechanisms without regard to the degree of taper or size of the adapter shank that is received by the machine conducting the machining operation.
It is an even further object of the present invention to provide a novel adjustable adapter for live center mechanisms that is extremely durable and will withstand the effects of commercial machining operations for long periods of time without adverse deterioration.
It is also a feature of the present invention to provide a novel adjustable adapter for live center mechanisms which is of simple nature, is reliable in use and low in cost.
Other and further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon consideration of this disclosure. The form of the invention which will now be described in detail illustrates the general principles of the invention but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken as limiting the scope of the present invention.